Black Sheep

Horror Subgenre: Horror Comedy

Here’s a movie that was quietly released in limited release last year, and deserves to be recognized for its greatness. Backed by the effects team at WETA, Peter Jackson’s studio that brought you the insane gore of Dead Alive, Black Sheep is a horror comedy about genetically engineered sheep who turn deadly. Yeah, that’s right. Killer sheep. This is the first movie I’ve ever seen that could make a single shot of a sheep simultaneously hilarious and chilling. Black Sheep takes an old school ’80s approach to horror: Start with an innocent idea and make it terrifying, throw in some practical effects of grotesque man-sheep abominations, and keep it campy.

The story revolves around Henry, a young man who is terrified of sheep due to a traumatic childhood experience. His worst fears are realized when he returns to the farm where he grew up to find his brother conducting experiments on the sheep, turning them into evil mutants. And if you’re not sold on the movie off that premise, there’s something wrong with you. The high points of Black Sheep lie in the special effects, which hearken back to Peter Jackson’s early movies like Bad Taste and Meet the Feebles. The mutant sheep are sickening but they’re anchored by a healthy dose of, pardon the pun, black humor. For instance, it’s revealed later that a key character is so interested in the sheep, he really gets to know one. Biblically. There’s also an activist character who frees a mutant lamb (which looks suspiciously similar to the rat monkey in Dead Alive), and it ends up chomping on his ear.

Must-See Moment: The Sheep Battle Inside The Truck. If you’ve never seen a sheep get its head rammed repeatedly into a steering wheel, then later, drive the truck over a cliff, now’s your chance!

You’ll notice my list of “Horror” movies is a little different than most. I have a high appreciation (and threshold) for gore, and gain enjoyment from horror movies by basking in the over-the-top nature of violence. It’s so far removed from reality that my first reaction isn’t to squirm; it’s to laugh. And possibly high five whoever is sitting next to me. I don’t think it’s desensitization, this is also coming from the guy who’s only watched the curbing scene of American History X once despite having seen the movie several times. A lot of gory horror movies recognize the campy aspect of their product and take it to such an extreme, it’s clear they understand their audience, and go for the laughs. That’s right in my (haunted) wheelhouse.

I’m not a huge fan of “torture porn” horror. There’s a thin line between entertainment and exploitation, and if the violence is too realistic, the entertainment value can get sucked out pretty quickly. But I’m no pussy. I love Texas Chainsaw Massacre (the original and only one that should be recognized) and can find the redeeming qualities in Last House On The Left (but barely). Ironically, both movies involve chainsaws wielded for completely opposite moral reasons. A lot of those movies only require one viewing, and since I advocate movies as entertainment first, a movie like Last House, while horrific, should be recommended for horror education only, not as a, “Let’s have friends over, make popcorn, turn off the lights, and enjoy a good scary movie!” Trust me, that’ll be one depressing after party.

Now, lest you’re thinking, “Hey Nerd, sounds like you don’t really like horror movies!” this list will include some of my favorite TRULY frightening films. Movies that create dread and keep you on the edge of your seat until you’re startled straight to the floor, such as the one pictured above (know what that’s from??). And hopefully, there’s some movies in here you’ve never seen or heard of, and you’ll be encouraged to seek them out.